OCR Text |
Show j PEA8 AS HUMUS. As humus results from decomposed i organic matter, tho rotting In tho soli 5 of a crop of pea vines and their roots l plowed nnd worked up with It accom- pllshcs the humlflcatlon of tho soil. Tho humus derived from rotted peas j Is peculiarly valuablo as fertilizer, i because theso plants nro naturally j rich in protein mattor, tho soil of ! which is nltrogou. Thoy therefore J givo rich nitrogenous humus. To ' emphasize this wo havo only to ob serve that each 100 pounds of pea hay would contnln at least three times as ' much nitrogen as 100 pounds of grain I Btraw. The humus resulting from a , 'decomposed pea crop therefore Is threo times more valuablo as a fertilizer than that from grain and straw. Tho grain straw has almost as much potash pot-ash as tho pea straw, but as wo plow In tho pea pods as well, tho peas may bo calculated to put moro potash Into the humuB than grain straw does. As regards phosphoric acid, tho amount found in tho humus of grain straw Is too slight to uso for comparison, compari-son, says Farmers' Rovlew, It Is right to noto at this point that the peas do not bring any potash or phosphoric phos-phoric acid to the orchards, as being grown on tho soil thoy must obtain all their supply of these Ingredients from tho soli, whllo the grain straw , being purchased from tho outsldo brings these mineral ingredients, particularly par-ticularly tho potash, of grain ilclds to tho orchard. Thomas C. Wallace. |